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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Rhode Island
Department of
Environmental
Management
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants
through four competitive grant programs: assessment
grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and
job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management (RIDEM) was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Rhode Island (popula-
tion 1,048,319) has many communities that continue to
struggle with challenges related to their industrial past.
The state is targeting seven communities located in its
two most heavily industrialized river corridors, the
Blackstone River corridor and the Pawtuxet River
basin. These communities include Warwick, Coventry,
Assessment Grants
$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management for two brownfields
assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant
funds will be used to conduct two Phase I and
Phase II environmental site assessments in a
seven-community target area. Petroleum grant
funds will be used to conduct three Phase I and
Phase II environmental site assessments in the
seven-community target area.
Contacts
For further information, including specific grant
contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
news and events, and publications and links, visit
the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
brownfields.
EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team
617-918-1424
http://www.epa.gov/regionl/brownfields
Grant Recipient: Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management
401-222-4700, ext. 7126
The information presented in this fact sheet comes
from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
accuracy of this information. The cooperative
agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
sheet are subject to change.
West Warwick, Cranston, Woonsocket, Pawtucket,
and Central Falls (combined population 363,436). The
Blackstone and Pawtuxet Rivers flow into
Narragansett Bay, one of Rhode Island's most
important natural resources. Several abandoned,
distressed, and underused properties are located along
riverfront areas. Communities in the target areas,
especially in the Blackstone River corridor, have high
rates of poverty and unemployment as well as low
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-08-036
April 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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per capita incomes. Brownfields assessment will help
the state and local communities gain information
about real and perceived environmental contamina-
tion at sites and leverage resources for redevelop-
ment.
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